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Chelsea have confirmed they have submitted an offer to buy the 39-acre Battersea Power Station site for the construction of a 60,000-seater stadium.

The bid has been made with the club’s property development partner, Almacantar, and could risk an angry backlash from fans who have already expressed concerns about moving away from Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea in 2011 attempted to buy back the land on which Stamford Bridge is built from Chelsea Pitch Owners Plc (CPO), but there was opposition to this strategy.

A clear move has now been made for a new stadium from Chelsea, who want a bigger home in order to capitalise on match-day revenue, and Battersea has been targeted as a site.

Ahead of Saturday’s FA Cup final against Liverpool, the Blues announced they were hoping to acquire the 39 acres of land they could redevelop if they decide to relocate from Stamford Bridge.

SOURCE: Sky Sports

This is an odd bit of timing. The vexed issue of a move away from Stamford Bridge has angered a large section of Chelsea fans so to make a bid on the eve of the FA Cup Final is sure to make a delicate situation all the more so.

Chelsea clearly feel they can maximise revenues by playing in front of a bigger stadium but it seems that building on, or around, the current stadium is a no go at present which leaves the Blues owners looking at possible sites for re-location. Battersea Power Station is a prime piece of land that they feel they can use for this purpose.

Apparently any move to buy the site will not involve knocking down the four massive chimneys that have become a famous focal point on the landscape.

A statement on the club’s official website on Friday reads:

“Chelsea football club can confirm to our fans that we have today submitted an offer, with our property development partner Almacantar, to acquire the 39-acre Battersea Power Station site.

“Battersea Power Station is one of London’s most famous buildings and has the potential to become one of the most iconic football stadiums in the world.

“Our joint bid was submitted in accordance with the sales process established by the Joint Administrators for the site. The process could run for a number of months.

“We are not the only interested parties and there is no certainty that we will be successful. We also appreciate that we have many significant hurdles to address if we are to build a new stadium on the site, including winning the support of our fans, the CPO shareholders and local Wandsworth residents, as well as securing the approval of Wandsworth Council, the Greater London Authority and heritage authorities.

“We must also stress that making an offer for the Battersea Power Station site does not mean the club has made a definitive decision to leave Stamford Bridge.”